Tony Abbott pretended to support the renewable energy industry before the election but is now â€ślaunching a full-frontal attackâ€ť according to Laborâ€™s environment spokesman Mark Butler.

The Coalition went to the election promising to keep the renewable energy target (RET), which underpins investment in energy sources such as wind and solar.

But the prime minister has now taken control of a scheduled review in his own department and says the RET may have outlived its initial purpose and needs to be reassessed because it increases power prices.

â€śThe Liberals went to the election saying there was no difference between the parties on renewable energy, but they werenâ€™t being straight with the Australian people because now they are launching a full-frontal attack,â€ť Butler said.

Butler said Labor would stick with its opposition to the repeal of the carbon tax when parliament resumes this month, but was now also preparing â€śto ramp up a community campaign in support of renewable energyâ€ť.

â€śWe didnâ€™t foresee this battle and it seems the responsible ministers [environment minister] Greg Hunt and [industry minister] Ian Macfarlane arenâ€™t having much of a say either â€“ itâ€™s ideological and driven by people like [the prime ministerâ€™s chief business adviser] Maurice Newman.â€ť

The renewable energy industry is also becoming increasingly alarmed at signals the government intends to drastically reduce, or even abolish, the target.Â Read more »

PROFESSOR Tim Flannery has been sacked by the Abbott Government from his $180,000-a-year part-time Chief Climate Commissioner position, with the agency he runs to be dismantled immediately.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt called Prof Flannery this morning to tell him a letter formally ending his employment was in the mail.

In the letter, Mr Hunt tells Prof Flannery: “The Climate Commission does not have an ongoing role, and consequently I am writing to advise you that the Climate Commission has been dissolved, with effect from the date of this letter.”

He thanked him for his personal contribution and then said “The Department of the Environment will soon write to you concerning administrative arrangements for finalising your engagement as Chief Climate Commissioner.”Â Read more »

PUBLIC servants are drawing up plans to collapse 33 climate change schemes run by seven departments and eight agencies into just three bodies run by two departments under a substantial rewrite of the administration of carbon abatement schemes under the Coalition.

Coalition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt briefed public servants on the dramatic restructure of the federal climate change bureaucracy before the election was called and yesterday confirmed the Coalition was committed to proceeding with the plan.Â Read more »

Politics in Australia is far more robust than here. As aÂ consequenceÂ it seems to be a whole lot more fun too. It has been a long time since our last bout of fighting MPs:

THE argument over asylum seekers came close to a physical clash in the House of Representatives last night when an Opposition frontbencher, Greg Hunt, had to be restrained by a colleague from confronting the cabinet secretary, Mark Dreyfus.

Mr Hunt was about to speak on the adjournment debate, which was supposed to be about the carbon tax, but was incensed at comments Mr Dreyfus made earlier in the day about the Coalition profiteering from the deaths of asylum seekers.

Mr Dreyfus had contended that Tony Abbott was refusing to co-operate with the government to break the policy impasse for political reasons.

”You’re left thinking that he sees political advantage in people dying. That’s the real disgrace of this,” he said.

Mr Dreyfus and Mr Hunt were sniping at each other across the dispatch table in Parliament and a witness said Mr Dreyfus suggested Mr Hunt may have been drinking.

Mr Hunt, a teetotaller, snapped and bounded around the table to confront Mr Dreyfus. He had to be restrained by the Western Australia Liberal MP, Don Randall.

”Greg was absolutely incensed,” said a witness.

”It looked like he wanted to smack him.”

Mr Dreyfus left the chamber on the advice of the Acting Speaker, Anna Burke.

Mr Hunt regained his composure and gave a speech condemning Mr Dreyfus, calling it one of the most offensive statements made in the Parliament in 100 years.